News

Bradford man found guilty of sex with girl, 14

A 32-year-old man was today behind bars awaiting sentence this morning for a relationship with a vulnerable girl of 14 that left her pregnant and in Bradford Council care.

A jury took less than two hours yesterday afternoon to convict Abid Miskeen of sexual activity with the child over an eight-month period.

During his trial at Bradford Crown Court, one of the girl’s relatives said Miskeen knowingly attended her 14th birthday party.

Miskeen, of Little Horton Lane, Bradford, was remanded back into custody by Judge Robert Bartfield.

Prosecutor Gerald Hendron told the jury police investigating the relationship searched for the girl and found her close to midnight with Miskeen at a house in Bradford. She was made the subject of a Police Protection Order and put into local authority care.

While living in a children’s home, she was discovered to be pregnant.

The child was aborted and Miskeen found to be the father.

He was originally also accused of abducting the girl from Bradford Council care late last year but the charge was dropped.

She went missing for 36 hours before she was found hiding in a basement after an exhaustive police search.

When the trial began last Wednesday, the girl, now 15, and some other members of her family, called as witnesses, had absconded.

She left the court building for a cigarette and she disappeared, at about the same time as other witnesses Judge Bartfield granted the Crown’s application for an arrest warrant and she spent the night in a police station. She was produced in custody to give her evidence the following day.

The judge told the court: “The complainant was an essential witness for this trial, as indeed were the other witnesses. Without her attendance, the trial would have collapsed.”

The court heard she did not want to give evidence and still had strong feelings for Miskeen.

“This was a serious allegation of sexual abuse in which the complainant had been impregnated by the defendant, who was 32,” Judge Bartfield said. “There is a strong public interest in proceeding to trial in such a case and I was not prepared to have it subverted.

“The warrants resulted in all four witnesses being present. Unhappily (the girl) spent the night in a police station and was produced in custody at court, which no judge would like to see.

“All the witnesses gave evidence and the trial proceeded. I explained the reasons for her detention and my regret that there had been no alternative.

“She appeared to understand and said she was sorry. She struck me in giving evidence as calm and clear in what she had to say.

“I believe that the interests of justice have been served despite the ‘cost’ to which I have referred.”